A Chester County couple tragically drowned in an ocean rip current on Thursday, while vacationing with their six kids in Florida, according to local authorities.

Brian Warter, 51, and his girlfriend Erica Wishard, 48, both of Downingtown, were with their children on Hutchinson Island along Florida’s southeast coast when the incident occurred.

According to the local Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the family was swimming when two of their teenage children were swept into the current and the parents attempted to help.

The teenagers eventually managed to break free from the current but the parents remained stuck in the water, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.

“The kids were able to break the current and attempted to help their parents, but it became too dangerous and they were forced to swim ashore,” investigators added.

Martin County Ocean Rescue responded promptly and attempted to perform life-saving measures before transporting them to the hospital. Despite their efforts, the two adults were later pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office confirmed.

On Thursday, prior to the incident, red flags at the beach signaled dangerous surf conditions, and the National Weather Service office in Melbourne warned of a “high risk” of rip currents along the coast.

“A lot of people are locals, they understand rip tides. They know what to do, what not to do,” Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said in a statement to WPTV West Palm Beach. “We get these vacationers that come in and, unfortunately, this ends poorly for them. There’s no way to get the message out to all of them.”

According to a West Chester police criminal complaint, Ahmad Wasfi Al-Azzam forced his way into an elderly borough resident’s home in May, tied him up, beat him with a hammer in the face and head for an hour, and robbed him of his car keys, phone and cash.

During the assault, Al-Azzam allegedly filmed the man, who was 73 years old at the time, and whom he had met in an online chat room, and forced him to make statements about being a pedophile, threatening him with violence if he did not.

Police said that Al-Azzam also posted at least six videos of the beating — as well as other incidents from that night — in which the man is seen bound hand and foot. At one point, the victim is told to look at the camera and “say sorry for trying to meet up with a 15-year-old.”

There is no evidence that the man, who is not identified in the affidavit by West Chester Detective Cpl. Jerry Ferriola, was a pedophile or engaged in any illegal sexual activity with a minor.

Al-Azzam, 26, of Uwchlan, was taken into custody on June 11 and interviewed. At the time, he implicated himself in the West Chester assault, according to Ferriola’s complaint.

He is charged with kidnapping to facilitate a felony, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, criminal trespass, terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of crime, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief.

Al-Azzam was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Marc Leiberman, who set bail at $1 million. A preliminary hearing is set for July 12. A phone call to Al-Azzam’s attorney, Eliot Marc Cohen of Philadelphia, on Friday was not immediately returned.

According to Ferriola’s complaint, Al-Azzam is a suspect in at least two other possible assaults, one unconfirmed in Phoenixville, and one confirmed in Mount Laurel, N.J. Images of the two incidents were posted on an Instagram account that Al-Azzam allegedly maintained, “realjuujika,” and shows a masked man stalking people at night and slapping one person in the face who promises “not to do it again.”

The investigation

The investigation began on May 26 when Ferriola and Detective Greg Cugino responded to Penn Presbyterian Hospital to interview the victim from West Chester, who was being treated for a “brain bleed” he suffered in an attack in his home in the borough’s southwest end.

During three interviews, the man told officers that between May 18 and May 22, he had been in a chatroom conversing with an unknown person who said he was 18 years old.

At some point, that person stated he was actually only 15 years old, and the man said he could not continue the conversation. The other person then offered to send him a gift, which the man accepted.

He was told a Lyft driver would soon deliver a milkshake and two cheeseburgers.

At about 11 p.m. that night — the man was not able to recall the exact date but investigators believe it was May 20 — someone knocked on his door and when he went to open it, a person, who was wearing a black mask, forced his way inside and bound his hands with packing tape.

He proceeded to beat him with a small hammer for about an hour.

He used a cellphone to record the beating, and forced the man to make statements about being a pedophile. He then ransacked the house, took the man’s wallet with cash and credit cards, and also the keys to his car, which was parked outside.

The man then told him not to bother calling the police because he had “a very fast car.”

When the man went outside the next day, he saw that three of the tires on his car had been slashed. He did not immediately call police.

The ‘realjuujika’

In response to a tip, detectives were able to review videos on Instagram tied to the “realjuujika” account.

Juujika is a Japanese literary character who seeks vengeance on those who had bullied him. They watched six videos of the assault on the man, and others from what was purported to be an assault on an alleged predator in Phoenixville.

When investigators contacted Phoenixville police, they learned that that department was investigating an incident involving a self-proclaimed child predator vigilante who was part of an organization called Juujika. The incident in which a man dressed in ninja attire — all black, with a balaclava — spoke with officers about his work catching men trying to meet young boys was noted by officers as occurring on May 1.

Phoenixville police were able to identify a car the man drove, and linked it to Wasfi Al-Azzam, the suspect’s father. But when they looked at his records, Wasfi Al-Azzam was too old to have been the man they encountered. They determined it was instead his son, Ahmad Wasfi Al-Azzam.

Because the man in Phoenixville had spoken about an incident he was involved with in New Jersey, borough investigators contacted police in Mount Laurel, who confirmed they had an open case involving a beating in a Dick’s Sporting Goods parking lot.

The suspect in that case was driving the same kind of car that had been identified in Phoenixville.

West Chester police were later able to track a Range Rover registered to Wasfi Al-Azzam, using license plate readers, and saw it enter the borough on May 20 around 10:30.

Then, using surveillance cameras from West Chester University, saw a man get out of a Range Rover and walk to the victim’s home. It left at a high rate of speed about 45 minutes later.

On June 10, detectives interviewed Al-Azzam at the borough police headquarters. In the interviews, which were recorded, Al-Azzam admitted being the creator and owner of the Instagram account, and admitted having items that police had found in his home and tied them to the beating, including a small hammer.

While initially he denied having anything to do with the assault on the older man, he ultimately admitted that he was the person seen in the videos beating him. He admitted slashing the tires on the man’s car.

No charges have been filed involving the incident in Phoenixville. Questions about possible charges in New Jersey were not answered after an email was sent.

To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544.

Katherine “Kay” Lynn Emel, 31, of the unit block of Richardson Street, Plymouth Township, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court on Friday to charges of third-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with the Jan. 20, 2024, fatal shooting of William Carter, her ex-boyfriend, in the unit block of West Wood Street in Norristown.

Essentially, Emel admitted that she told one of the robbers about Carter’s “daily agenda” and provided the location where Carter was going to be on the evening of Jan. 20. Emel admitted on Friday that she was upset because Carter, with whom she had recently broken up, stopped paying part of her rent in November 2023 even though he continued to live with her.

Third-degree murder is a killing committed with malice or cruelty, hardness of heart or recklessness of consequences and is punishable by a possible maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison.

By pleading guilty, Emel avoided the possibility of being convicted at a trial of a more serious second-degree murder charge, which carries a mandatory life prison sentence. Second-degree murder is a killing that occurs during the course of another felony such as robbery.

The open guilty plea means Emel has no deals with prosecutors regarding her potential sentence.

Judge William R. Carpenter will have sole discretion in determining Emel’s punishment.

Under questioning by defense lawyer John Francis McCaul, Emel admitted she has agreed to testify truthfully at the trial of three men accused of carrying out the deadly robbery when they head to trial on Sept. 3.

Additionally, Assistant District Attorney Meghan Bernadette Carney advised Emel in court that if she fails to cooperate and testify truthfully, then prosecutors could take her to trial on the original charge of second-degree murder.

Emel was charged with homicide along with four others under accomplice liability theories.

“She was essentially one of the individuals that helped set up this robbery,” Carney alleged.

“Under accomplice liability and conspiracy liability, even if she was not present at that robbery and subsequent murder, she put it into motion. She conspired and agreed that robbery would occur and she provided information to assist with that robbery and during the course of that robbery William was shot and killed. So even if she didn’t pull the trigger, she’s liable as an accomplice and a co-conspirator,” Carney added.

Four others are still awaiting trial in connection with the robbery and fatal shooting.

Damon Brantley Jr., 18, the alleged shooter, of the 1000 block of West Beech Street, Norristown, faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy and multiple weapons offenses. Brantley was 17 at the time of the incident but turned 18 several days later.

Daquan Tyrone Allen, 29, the alleged getaway driver, of the 500 block of Norris Street, Norristown, and Jerry Lamar Butler, 29, of the 500 block of East Clarkson Avenue, Philadelphia, who is accused of participating in robbing Carter, are charged with second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit murder.

Allen, Butler and Brantley, who face a joint jury trial Sept. 3, were extradited to Montgomery County from Endicott, N.Y., where they were apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service several days after the alleged incident.

A fourth male, Justin Lyaire Davis, 17, of the 300 block of East Brown Street, Norristown, previously was held for trial on homicide, robbery and conspiracy charges. Davis, who was 16 at the time of the incident but was charged as an adult because of the violent nature of the crime, is seeking to have his case transferred to juvenile court.

Davis is not accused of firing the shot that killed Carter but is accused of taking part with Brantley and Butler in the strong-arm robbery that ended in Carter being fatally shot.

The investigation began about 7:53 p.m. Jan. 20 when Norristown police responded to the report of shots fired at West Wood and Powell streets. Arriving officers found Carter, 35, dead on the sidewalk on the west side of West Wood Street, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective John Wittenberger and Norristown Detective Stephen Sowell.

Carter suffered a gunshot wound to the head and authorities determined the fatal shooting occurred at 7:49 p.m. Investigators determined Carter possessed only a set of keys but no money and no cellphone.

The investigation determined Carter, who was unarmed, had left a nearby residence to get some money out of a white Buick LeSabre.

Detectives said they obtained video surveillance footage that depicted Carter leave the Buick, and as he crossed the street, three males, Brantley, Butler and Davis, exited a gray Toyota RAV-4 and ambushed and robbed Carter.

Allen waited in the driver’s seat of the Toyota, according to court papers.

After the three suspects robbed Carter, one of the assailants, Brantley, pointed a firearm at Carter and fired three rounds from a distance of about three-feet, and one of the rounds struck Carter in the head, according to the criminal complaint.

“The succession of the three gunshots was so fast that detectives believed the firearm had an illegal ‘switch’ installed, enabling the firearm to operate in automatic fashion,” Wittenberger and Sowell alleged in court papers. “In addition, it is obvious this firearm is equipped with an extended magazine.”

Investigators found three 9mm fired cartridge casings at the scene.

After Brantley, Butler and Davis got into the RAV-4, Allen, the alleged driver, then fled the area, traveling west on West Wood Street.

Detectives used surveillance footage to develop photographs of the suspects which were released to the media and helped lead to the identification and apprehension of the suspects.

Detectives also obtained a photograph of Brantley attending a basketball game at Norristown High School between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 20 during which Brantley was wearing clothing that prosecutors alleged was consistent with the clothing the shooter was wearing later that night when Carter was fatally shot.

On Jan. 21, authorities discovered the RAV-4 getaway vehicle was set ablaze with an accelerant and destroyed by fire and authorities alleged Brantley is responsible for torching the vehicle. Photographs of Brantley, taken shortly after his arrest, depicted him to have burns on his face and ears and singed eyebrows.

Detectives subsequently determined the Buick vehicle that Carter was driving on the night he was killed belonged to Emel, who had placed a GPS tracking device in the vehicle’s trunk, according to the arrest affidavit.

An analysis of cellphone records, interviews of witnesses and through other investigative techniques detectives learned that Emel had communicated with Allen multiple times before Carter’s robbery and murder, telling Allen that Carter had recently won $5,000 gambling, according to court documents.

Following the alleged murder, video surveillance from a business on North Broad Street in Philadelphia, depicted Emel and Allen meeting between 9:31 and 9:48 p.m., where Allen gave $700 to Emel, according to the arrest affidavit.

The 9 mm was loaded with 10 bullets when TSA officers detected the firearm Friday morning among the worker’s belongings when he was entering an employee checkpoint on his way to work, the agency added.

Airport police were contacted and responded to the checkpoint where they confiscated the firearm, cited the Philadelphia resident and took possession of his airport identification badge. Without the badge, the man is unable to work at the airport, the TSA said.

“This was a good catch on the part of our TSA officers as it addressed a possible insider threat situation,” explained Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for the airport. “Individuals who work at the airport, whether they are members of the flight crew, work at retail shops, work for airlines, or are contractors of a company that does business at the airport are not allowed to bring prohibited items onto the secure side of the airport. We are always on alert for employees who may have possible bad intentions, which could possibly represent a threat to aviation security.”

In addition to losing his ID badge, which prevents him from working at the airport, the individual also faces a possible federal financial civil citation, which could cost thousands of dollars, the agency said.

“We are deep into our busy summer travel period, and here at Philadelphia as well as at airports across the country, we are extremely busy and our officers have remained vigilant in focusing on their mission,” Spero said. “We want people to get to their destinations safely and get home safely.”

It was the 17th gun that TSA officers have detected at PHL checkpoints so far this year. In all of 2023, 45 firearms were intercepted at airport checkpoints.

Arbetina Johnson-Lowery, 35, of the 200 block of Hazelton Avenue, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court on Friday to charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and controlled substances, DUI, driving under suspension and failure to have a child properly restrained in connection with the 2:43 p.m. Sept. 30, 2023, crash at Old Arch Road and East Johnson Highway in East Norriton.

Judge Thomas P. Rogers, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, sentenced Johnson-Lowery to 3 to 6 years in the Pennsylvania Correctional Institution at Muncy. The judge ordered Johnson-Lowery to report to prison on July 5 to begin serving the sentence.

The sentence included the 3-year mandatory term allowable under state law for the charge of homicide by vehicle while DUI and sought by Assistant District Attorney Gabriella Eileen Glenning.

“This is the ultimate crime that someone can commit when they get behind the wheel intoxicated and unfortunately, in this case it was even more horrendous that it was this woman’s own 14-month-old son who lost his life due to her intoxication,” Glenning said after the hearing. “Anything less than the mandatory (sentence) would depreciate the significance of what happened here.”

Glenning said the mandatory sentence sends a message to others in the community that prosecutors take DUI-related fatalities seriously and “that this is not going to be tolerated.”

The judge also ordered Johnson-Lowery to complete two years of probation, consecutive to parole, meaning Johnson-Lowery will be under court supervision for eight years. Johnson-Lowery must complete parenting classes as a condition of the sentence.

Johnson-Lowery, a mother of three other children, who range in age from 4 months old to 17, did not address the courtroom before the judge imposed the sentence.

But defense lawyer Matthew Sherman Hagarty told the judge that Johnson-Lowery is remorseful, has been sober since the incident, has been in counseling and plans to take advantage of therapeutic programs in prison to address her substance use disorder.

“She has tremendous remorse for what happened. She’s living with it every day. She’s accepting responsibility,” Hagarty said.

The investigation began about 2:43 p.m. Sept. 30 when East Norriton police responded to a report of a crash involving a Mazda MPV minivan and a SEPTA bus at the intersection of Old Arch Road and East Johnson Highway. Witnesses reported “a young child on scene, who was suffering from a head injury, was in and out of consciousness, and the mother of this child was trapped in her vehicle,” according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective Anthony Caso and East Norriton Detective Jared Weiner.

Witnesses to the crash found the toddler lying on the backseat floorboard of Johnson-Lowery’s vehicle suffering from severe injuries and he was flown by medical helicopter to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he later died of blunt impact injuries to his head.

Investigators found a child’s car seat in the backseat of the Mazda, but determined the restraints were not correctly set for the toddler’s size, according to court documents.

“The locations of the straps were in the lowest level, consistent with the strap location used for a newborn or infant. The location of the straps would have been in a position too low to secure a fourteen-month-old toddler the size of (the victim) into the seat,” Caso and Weiner alleged in the criminal complaint.

Johnson-Lowery was trapped and had to be extricated from her vehicle and she was transported to a local hospital to be treated for multiple injuries.

The bus driver was transported to a local hospital to be treated for a knee injury, according to court papers. There were four other people on the bus at the time of the crash.

After obtaining surveillance video from the bus and eyewitness accounts, investigators determined the SEPTA bus was traveling westbound on East Johnson Highway when it stopped to load and unload passengers.

Johnson-Lowery, traveling eastbound on East Johnson Highway at a high rate of speed, made slight contact with the rear bumper of a vehicle in front of it and then crashed into the driver’s side of the SEPTA bus, according to the criminal complaint.

Detectives determined the Mazda was traveling between 47 and 50 mph in the 35-mph zone just prior to striking the bus.

Detectives found two empty bottles of Yukon Jack whiskey and a Newport cigarette box that contained two partially smoked marijuana cigarettes and cocaine wrapped in foil inside Johnson-Lowery’s vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

Testing on Johnson-Lowery’s blood found Bromazolam (a designer benzodiazepine drug, similar to fentanyl), methamphetamine, metabolites of cocaine and a small amount of alcohol, according to the criminal complaint.

The investigation determined that Johnson-Lowery’s driver’s license had been suspended effective Sept. 13, 2018, and the Mazda’s registration had been suspended on Jan. 21, 2023, for insurance cancellation.

Other charges of recklessly endangering other persons, careless driving, speeding and accidents involving death while not properly licensed were dismissed against Johnson-Lowery as part of the plea agreement.

The township now has its twelfth.

On Wednesday night, Andrew Block, a lifelong resident of Lower Merion, was formally sworn in as the department’s latest superintendent.

“I want to thank our board of commissioners and township Manager Ernie McNeely for selecting me for this very, very sacred position within law enforcement to lead this phenomenal police department — the Lower Merion Police Department,” Block said after being sworn in. “I am truly humbled and grateful for everything you’ve done for me thus far as the commissioners and the leaders of this township. I will not let you down. I will not let our citizens down, nor will I let down our fine officers of the Lower Merion Police Department down.”

Block officially became Lower Merion superintendent on June 3, but township officials waited until this month’s commissioners meeting for the swearing-in ceremony.

Block has been a police officer for nearly 40 years, most of that time working in Radnor Township. Recently, he served as police chief in Upper Moreland Township. He has also served as a member of the Gladwyne Fire Company, including some of that time as its chief.

He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Neumann University and a Master’s in Public Safety Management and Administration from Saint Joseph’s University.  He also completed the FBI National Academy’s Law Enforcement Executive Management program.

District Magisterial Judge Henry Schireson formally swore in Block as superintendent during Wednesday night’s Lower Merion Board of Commissioners meeting.

Schireson said police and courts are held in high esteem in the United States.

“True respect for the law is promoted by our integrity, our impartiality, our sense of fair play, our conscientious attention to duty, and yes, our sense of duty,” Schireson said. “I know Andy as a person who embodies these qualities. Someone is generally caring, humble, an unwavering sense of duty – you couldn’t ask for more in a police superintendent.”

Todd Sinai, president of the board of commissioners, said many people have come to him to say that the township’s choice of Block was a great one.

“When it comes to policing, I believe that our board of commissioners has one singular goal, which is to have the best possible police department,” Sinai said. “I’m glad that tonight, we’ll add to our array of amazing officers, command staff, and police department staff with the swearing-in of an outstanding superintendent.”

Commissioner Dan Bernheim said that for everything they do as a municipality, the most important thing they do is keeping the public safe. And the most important decisions they make in public safety is when they select a chief fire officer and a police superintendent.

“Those who know Andy, respect him, hold him in the highest regard, and those who don’t, and I address those in the police force, you are going to find out why they do so very, very quickly,” Bernheim said. “It is absolutely a privilege and an honor to be a part of this ceremony here this evening. And if I can go out on a limb and give one piece of advice, just be yourself. We will all benefit so much from that.”

McNeely said that in the search and eventual hiring of Block, Lower Merion hired a national search firm and then saw candidates from all over the country, including 59 at the start.

The 59 were narrowed down to eight finalists. Six of those eight were from the Philadelphia area, and the other two were out of state.

“But in the end, we are so very pleased to have landed on somebody who has lived their entire life in Lower Merion Township,” McNeely said.

McNeely pointed out Block’s 38 years in law enforcement and 28 years in Radnor Township.

“We are so glad to welcome Andy Block as our new superintendent,” McNeely said.

Joshua Alan Kessler, 22, of the 1200 block of Jacksonville Road, Ivyland, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 3 to 6 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 13 and indecent assault of a person less than 13 in connection with multiple incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021 at times when he was alone with each of the victims.

Kessler knew the victims’ families, according to court papers.

Judge Thomas M. DelRicci, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Kessler to complete three years of probation consecutive to parole, meaning Kessler will be under court supervision for nine years.

DelRicci ordered Kessler to have no contact with the victims.

Additionally, the judge ordered Kessler to undergo a psychosexual evaluation and to comply with all recommendations for treatment.

Kessler also must be evaluated by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board which will determine if he meets criteria to be classified as a sexually violent predator. Those classified as predators face more stringent restrictions while serving parole and probationary periods.

Kessler also faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, previously known as Megan’s Law.

Kessler pleaded guilty to the charges shortly before jury selection was to begin for his trial.

An investigation began in February 2022 when Rockledge detectives met with three juvenile females, accompanied by their parents, who reported they were indecently assaulted at locations in Rockledge and Philadelphia when they were in the company of Kessler, according to court documents.

The girls told detectives the sexual assaults occurred when they were under the age of 13 and that the assaults included indecent touching and other sexual contact. Kessler was between the ages of 17 and 20 when the assaults occurred, court papers indicate.

One girl told detectives the contact made her feel “uncomfortable” and a second girl said she “felt invaded” and that Kessler instructed her “not to tell anyone or there would be consequences,” according to a criminal complaint filed by Rockledge Detective Luke M. Lukashunas.

“(The victim) was scared when she heard there would be consequences,” Lukashunas wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Other charges of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors were dismissed against Kessler as part of the plea agreement.

Assistant District Attorney Jediah Grobstein handled the case. Defense lawyer Michael John represented Kessler during the court proceedings.

Edgar Joel Cruz, 23, of the 5000 block of Whitaker Avenue, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to charges of robbery, kidnapping and firearms not to be carried without a license in connection with the June 2023 incident.

Judge Thomas M. DelRicci deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Cruz, who will undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations.

The open guilty plea means Cruz has no deals with prosecutors regarding his potential sentence and the judge will have sole discretion in determining the punishment.

Cruz remains free on $99,000 monetary bail, posted through a bonding company, pending sentencing. Cruz potentially faces more than a decade in prison on the charges.

The investigation began in the early morning hours of June 1, 2023, when Upper Moreland police received information about the kidnapping and robbery.

A 33-year-old man told police that he was sitting in his vehicle during a work break outside Acme Corrugated Box Company in the 2700 block of Turnpike Drive in Upper Moreland when Cruz, armed with a silver handgun, entered the rear driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle and instructed the victim to drive off, according to the criminal complaint filed by Upper Moreland Detective Mark Edward Bouldin.

While pointing the gun at the victim, Cruz demanded the victim’s cellphone, took the victim’s wallet and removed all of the cards from the wallet and tried to steal money from the victim while using a cellphone application, detectives alleged.

“Cruz then ordered the victim to drive to his residence in the Olney section of Philadelphia for additional money,” Bouldin alleged. “While forcing the victim to drive his vehicle to Philadelphia, Cruz held a gun to the victim’s neck. (The victim) stated he feared for his life during the entirety of this incident.”

After arriving at the victim’s residence, Cruz forced the victim inside and stole money from the purse of the victim’s mother, according to the arrest affidavit.

Detectives used video surveillance footage obtained from area businesses and residences to identify and track Cruz as he fled from the victim’s residence.

Cruz was apprehended by authorities on June 8, 2023, on Penn Street in Philadelphia and at that time he admitted to committing the robbery and kidnapping of the victim.

The investigation determined that Cruz had previously worked at Acme Corrugated Box Company. The weapon used by Cruz during the crime, identified as a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber pistol, was recovered by detectives, according to court documents.

By pleading guilty to the robbery charge, Cruz admitted that during the course of committing a theft he put another person in fear of immediate serious bodily injury.

Other charges of theft by unlawful taking, burglary and possessing a firearm with an altered serial number are slated to be dismissed against Cruz at time of sentencing.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Joseph Waeltz Jr. is handling the case. Defense lawyer Edward Joseph Foster represented Cruz during the court proceedings.

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  Crews from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore responded to a gas leak Tuesday. (Photo Merion Fire Company of Ardmore)

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  Crews from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore responded to a gas leak Tuesday. (Photo Merion Fire Company of Ardmore)

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  Crews from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore responded to a gas leak Tuesday. (Photo Merion Fire Company of Ardmore)

LOWER MERION — EMS crews evacuated an apartment building in Ardmore this week after a contractor caused a gas leak.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Montgomery Avenue and Glenn Road.

Responding firefighters from the Merion Fire Company of Ardmore quickly arrived and evacuated a nearby apartment building.

The incident commander put meters in place to monitor the air. PECO was called and stopped the leak in just over three hours. No injuries were reported.

Ashish Kumar Verma, 38, of the 100 block of North Midland Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 3½ to 7 years in a state correctional institution after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor and attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor in connection with incidents that occurred in 2022.

Judge Thomas M. DelRicci also ordered Verma to complete three years of probation following parole, meaning Verma will be under court supervision for a total of 10 years.

Verma also faces a lifetime requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act, previously known as Megan’s Law.

Verma also must undergo a psychosexual evaluation and comply with all treatment recommendations, the judge said.

Verma was arrested during an undercover operation regarding child exploitation on multiple social media platforms during which county and Conshohocken detectives posed as a 14-year-old girl.

In September 2022, Verma contacted an undercover detective’s social media chat account and the two engaged in numerous conversations, according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Michael Henricks and Conshohocken Detective William Walter.

Verma directed “the content of the conversation toward one of a sexual nature” and asked the purported teenage girl about prior sexual experiences, according to the arrest affidavit. The communications eventually included text messages and a phone call after which Verma sent who he believed was the underage girl a photograph of male genitals and his photograph, according to arrest documents.

“This photograph was then checked with facial recognition software and a suggested match was identified as Ashish Verma,” Henricks and Walter wrote in the criminal complaint.

Verma eventually suggested that he and the teenage girl meet and a meeting was arranged for Sept. 15, 2022, in the 300 block of Washington Street in Conshohocken. At 5:39 p.m. detectives who had the area under surveillance observed Verma arrive at the location and he was taken into custody.

Other charges of criminal use of a communication facility and attempted indecent assault of a minor were dismissed against Verma.